Consider that gunstock blanks are usually taken from a tree designated just for gunstocks. They aren't a byproduct of cutting for furniture or dimensional lumber so waste is usually not an issue due to the value of the blanks, if the wood is high enough quality.
In this scenario, just about any grain pattern or style can be produced as long as it is suitable for gunstock layout. In certain cases, I've seen blanks cut way too thin and with the wrong grain pattern just because the cutter was trying to maximize profits from the tree or just didn't understand gunstock layout. Either way, it can be a real waste of a beautiful piece of wood. I also see this in the blanks you see for sale quite often that have already been "rough inletted" and then sold. This eliminates any chance to make your individual choices with the blank, and sometimes also ruins the blank as the inletting is quite often done quite sloppily and is almost impossible to repair. I've seen this quite often in very expensive blanks as well as cheaper pieces of wood and always wonder why anyone would waste the time and money to ruin a blank that way?
IMHO, as long as the grain pattern is pleasing to my eye and the rings are tight enough to give a blank sufficient strength, I don't worry too much about whether it is slab or quarter sawn- as long as the section through the action and wrist have very good structure to handle recoil and inletting. IMHO, the butt and foreend are just window dressing anyway and the only places real strength are needed are from the recoil lug to the grip. Just my 2 cent's worth- Bob

Sorry about the "joke"...but I just couldn't help myself after reading some of the comments from the resident "Clown."

Rick

I'm not even sure I can spell qtr sawn corretly much less know anything about it.

I would like to learn more about the way blanks are cut, and Rick mentioned starting another Thread, so I figured i would throw something out.

I bought this blank a few months back, I didnt pay much for it, 225, 250 bucks can't remember. Anyway I was told it was qtr sawn, but once I got it I wasn't sure, didnt matter I didnt pay much for it anyway. I was under the impression that qtr sawn blank was cut perpendicular to the grain. Other than that a qtr sawn blank could bite me on the butt and I might not know it.


This is the blank I'm not sure is qtr sawn.

right side


left side


Pic of what I think is qtr sawn



Pic of blank that I feel is not qtr sawn, I really don't like this blank but I had it turned anyway, I need the practice.

rightside


leftside

That was useful, thanks for sharing.
- mike

Here is a site that explains quarter sawn lumber: http://www.stuarts.net/Stuwritup/quarter/quartersawn.htm which I found as the first hit on a search engine request.

Marv

Thanks Marv,
That picture makes it TFE (Too F**king Easy).
JCN